'There'll be uproar if Fiz doesn't whack Kirsty': Corrie's Jennie McAlpine on Fiz and Tyrone's dramatic flee from the police

Could this be the end for popular Weatherfield character?

Lovers going on the run together might seem like a romantic theme for Valentine’s week. But there’s precious little time for passion as Coronation Street's Fiz and Tyrone
struggle to stay one step ahead of the police.

Having abducted baby Ruby out ?of desperation, the couple have fled Weatherfield and are holed up in the Welsh countryside as enraged Kirsty makes a public appeal for her child’s safe return.

We talk to Jennie McAlpine, 28, who plays Fiz, all about the latest twist in this dramatic and controversial storyline...

Fiz and Tyrone are on the run from the cops!

They’ve abducted a child and the police are hot on their heels. They’re living on borrowed time, so Fiz and Tyrone are panicking. However, they’re convinced it’s a moral crusade and they’re doing it for the right reasons.

To everyone on the Street, it looks as if Tyrone is the guilty party and Ruby should be back in the care of her loving mother.

But the viewers know as well as Fiz and Tyrone do that Kirsty is violent ?and shouldn’t be looking after ?a small child.

So what’s their plan?

Tyrone is adamant that he can’t live without Ruby and going on the run is his last hope. Fiz does feel kind of responsible for the situation because it was her idea for Tyrone to try and marry Kirsty in the first place.

So ?they drive to a remote B&B in ?Wales and have this vague plan about going to Ireland.

What happens next?

Tyrone persuades Fiz to ask Chesney for some money and passports. Even though Chesney is her little brother, he is annoyingly the voice of reason. He talks sense into Fiz by telling her it’s a crazy idea and that they can’t live life on the run indefinitely.

I can’t tell you whether Fiz ends up returning to the Street, but it isn’t going to end well.

It’s not a very romantic tale for Valentine’s Day, though.

Well, Tyrone certainly doesn’t remember to buy Fiz a bunch of roses in that B&B, that’s for sure! But at the end of the day, it is kind of romantic because Fiz absolutely loves Tyrone and that’s why she went through with this plan, even though she knows it’s wrong. She sticks up for her man despite the fact most people on the Street think he’s a woman beater.

Have Fiz and Tyrone got a future together?

I would love to say yes, but it’s not straightforward. Fiz has had a lot of heartbreak with her relationships, but that’s why she and Tyrone are drawn to each other – they’ve both been very unlucky in love. They’re striving for this happy, loving family, but it’s happening in a weird twisted way.

Are you proud of the domestic abuse storyline?

Yes, I’m really pleased that Corrie chose to tackle this issue. They’ve done it with the right characters and a lot of sensitivity. Also, I was so chuffed that my colleague Alan Halsall won Serial Drama Performance at the National Television Awards.

What were the fight scenes with Natalie Gumede like?

The fans are requesting more scraps between those two because Fiz hasn’t quite landed the right hook that Kirsty so richly deserves. Fiz has whacked a lot of Corrie characters over the years, so there’ll be uproar if she doesn’t give Kirsty her comeuppance.

Do you relish the dramatic scenes?

I’m dead chuffed because 12 years ago when I first came to Corrie, I was offered four episodes as a funny, gobby troublemaker. But I was asked back and over the years I’ve been blessed with big storylines and learnt loads from some amazing actors.

Do you ever miss your previous life as a stand-up comic?

I’ve never ruled out giving comedy a go again. I do a weekend radio show with Justin Moorhouse and I still enjoy making people laugh, but I wouldn’t swap Corrie for the world.

What’s your dream way to spend Valentine’s Day?

Just something quite simple. I want to be welcomed home from work with a cup of tea, then enjoy a meal that I know someone has slaved over all day – probably a nice roast dinner, with a pudding. Then I’d like to have full control ?of the remote for one night and be allowed to watch Pretty Woman on a loop. ?In fact, that sounds so good, I’m going to tell my partner ?Chris to sort it out!